It seems like a long time ago, but perhaps you remember those old Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup adds.  Two different people each round the corner, one eating chocolate, the other eating straight peanut butter (and who does that?).  They physically bump into each other, and what they are eating collide.  “You got chocolate in my Peanut Butter.” “You got Peanut Butter in my chocolate.”  Two great things collide, Peanut Butter and chocolate the

advert would have us believe, and something new and great was born.

Every so often two great things collide and we get something wonderful out of it.  Some of those collisions are yearly collisions.  Easter and spring collide, as they always do.  They usher in a wonderful time, and it is always a magnificent celebration.   A new tradition might have been born.  For the first time, we bought and brought flowers to the sanctuary, a sign of spring, and they were placed on the ladder cross.  The next week, in the rainy weather, the flowers were planted in the front of the church, in the back of the church, and near the pavilion, in the way back of the church.  Two great things collide, Easter and spring, and something new and great was born.

Some of the collisions are less common.  Two of my favorite days of the year recently collided.  My birthday, which we all know is just shy of national treasure, has heralded the fact that I am now a year older.  Once you reach a certain age, your birthday becomes background music, stuff you hear on the elevator, instead of the headliner of the show.  And if you have kids, your birthday really becomes pointless.  Nevertheless, it is one of my favorite days.  The fish fry is one of the best days of the year.  I love to eat, especially good food, especially really good food.  I love to play outdoors.  I love to fellowship.  It’s the perfect Matt day.  So, when the Fish fry fell on my birthday, it was for me a welcome and wonderful collision.

I note one more exciting, welcome and wonderful collision.  NPC is colliding with now and what is to come, and I gotta tell you, I am excited about that.  The atmosphere around church is fantastic, and the good feeling is palpable.  We’ve had some new things grow, such as our worship experience, which is a unique opportunity to do both contemporary and traditional aspects of worship, or to do just traditional if that is your choice.  I know of no other place that offers that possibility.  We’ve seen some of our traditions grow.  This year we will take 18 people to Montreat’s Music & Worship Conference.  This is more than we have ever had, by a bunch.  Our new Intergeneration Wednesday night Bible Study and Discussion group that has been studying faith through the eyes of the TV show Joan of Arcadia has had great success on many levels.  And there are many other things that are growing, and are new.  All of these are because of NPC’s greatest strength, her people.

Now and the future at NPC.  It is a welcome and wonderful collision, where things new, things old, and things great are happening.  I count myself lucky and blessed to be able to be a part of it with you.

 

As I am always,

Yours in Christ,

 

 

 

 

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus.
– I Corinthians 1:4 (NRSV)

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